Ze Tian Ji

Edited by: Michyrr

Why was Shang Xingzhou so afraid of Chen Changsheng and Yuren meeting?

If one worked backward, perhaps it was because what Shang Xingzhou most feared was his two students working together.

From this perspective, Xu Yourong’s words might have exposed this world’s most important secret.

The hall was very quiet.

A brush quietly rested on the edge of an inkstone like an oar of a boat docked at the shore.

Yuren used his hand to take up a soaked cotton towel. He clenched and unclenched the towel several times, an action which could be considered washing his hand.

He did not respond to Xu Yourong’s proposition. Instead, he took up the brush.

The tip of the brush flitted over the sea of ink, stirring up a tiny black wave. Then it flew into the air, broke through the clouds, and left a clear stroke of ink on the snow-white paper.

After writing a line of words, Yuren put down the brush and used his fingers to turn the paper to face Xu Yourong.

"What sort of person was she?"

......

......

’She’ here naturally referred to the Tianhai Divine Empress.

Since she had entered the Imperial Palace, Xu Yourong had not once brought up a topic related to the Divine Empress.

She could have made an issue of this relationship, saying something along the lines of ’Whether or not Your Majesty is willing to admit it, the Divine Empress was still your mother’.

She could have engaged with Yuren in a discussion on nature versus nurture.

Or she could have spoken in a sobbing tone about her own life in the Imperial Palace, using this as a natural springboard to talk about the many marks that the Divine Empress had left on this place.

But she did none of these, because she was not sure what Yuren’s impressions of the Divine Empress were, what he felt about her.

Moreover, Yuren was Chen Changsheng’s most respected senior. She did not want to use these overly cruel methods that stabbed straight to the heart.

When she saw the question on the paper, she confirmed that she was not wrong, and then she felt somewhat moved and relieved, her eyelashes trembling.

She quickly regained her composure and smiled at Yuren. "This is truly a question that I am the best at answering."

No one understood the Tianhai Divine Empress more than Xu Yourong.

The Princess of Ping was only her nominal daughter and Prince Chen Liu was just someone she entrusted her hopes to, used to comfort herself. As for Mo Yu and Zhou Tong, in the end, they were still only subordinates.

Only the Tianhai Divine Empress and Xu Yourong were truly master and disciple. In terms of thought and soul, they were a lineage, and in terms of affection, they were mother and daughter.

Now that the Tianhai Divine Empress’s soul had returned to the sea of stars, only Xu Yourong truly understood her way of thinking and her goal.

She felt that she had the responsibility to have Yuren and this world understand what sort of person the Tianhai Divine Empress was.

"The Empress had the broadest of hearts. The sun and moon, the mountains and rivers, the great earth and the sea, and even the other side of the sea of stars—it could hold everything."

This was Xu Yourong’s opening statement.

Yuren thought for a while, and then he used his palm to slowly turn the paper over.

With the turn of one’s hand, one was a cloud, and when turning it the other way, one was the rain1. He was speaking here of her methods.

Xu Yourong understood what he meant and replied, "An unordinary person naturally can’t be judged according to ordinary matters."

Yuren turned once more and looked out the western window into the distance, at the Orthodox Academy in the darkness.

When the people are too afraid to speak and exchange feelings only through their eyes, where exist the virtuous? He referred here to her Dao and virtue.

Xu Yourong indifferently said, "Also an ordinary matter, and also a trifling one."

Yuren was somewhat surprised by this answer. Arching his brows, he lightly rapped his finger against the edge of the plate, making a crisp cling.

The plate contained sugared plums.

This action of Yuren’s was rather vague. Another person would probably have found him difficult to understand.

But perhaps because she had interacted with Chen Changsheng for a long time, Xu Yourong quickly understood what he was asking.

’If there was no Chen Changsheng, would you have become this sort of person?’

"Perhaps I would have become this sort of person. After all, the Empress did raise me."

Xu Yourong thought some more, then added, "But nobody can know the true answer, because... he already appeared."

A faint smile was on her face as she said this. She seemed very calm, but she was actually concealing a hint of shyness, especially when she said the last part.

Yuren faintly smiled, somewhat relieved.

......

......

Today was the day after the Orthodoxy’s diplomatic mission returned to the capital.

In one day, Xu Yourong had met many important figures, and late in the night, she had gone to the Imperial Palace and met with the young emperor.

When this nighttime conversation was slowly proceeding toward the main topic, the first person she had met during the daytime was already several hundred li away.

Eight Dragonhorses of the finest stock tiredly drooped their heads, the clear water and the soycakes placed before them completely unable to attract their interest. Beads of sweat the size of beans poured out of their glossy skin and dropped to the floor, where they were quickly frozen into dregs of ice by the cold wind blowing through the streets.

One had every right to believe that Luoyang should be a little warmer than the capital, but for some reason, Luoyang was unusually cold this year.

Prince Chen Liu gazed at the dark streets. In recalling the great battle of Daos that had taken place here three years ago, he began to feel rather strange.

After meeting with Xu Yourong in the Orthodox Academy, he left the capital and rode to Luoyang.

Only when he entered this most prosperous metropolis of the Great Zhou did he suddenly think that he might have come too quickly.

Prince Chen Liu ignored the hot towel offered by one of his attendants. He only quietly stared at the monastery before him.

This monastery was the famous Monastery of Eternal Spring.

A blue-clothed Daoist walked out. After thanking him for his troubles, the Daoist let him inside.

Prince Chen Liu drove away those thoughts and calmly walked forward.

At this point, Xu Yourong had already entered the Imperial Palace, and that person within the monastery presumably already knew.

To him, this was an excellent opportunity, or perhaps an excellent breakthrough point.

Upon arriving at a seemingly simple room deep within the Monastery of Eternal Spring, the blue-clothed Daoist silently retreated, leaving only Prince Chen Liu.

Prince Chen Liu took a deep breath to calm himself, then pushed open the door into the room.

Shang Xingzhou was in this room, organizing medical cases with an extremely focused expression on his face.

The most powerful expert of the Human race looked right now like the most ordinary but also most ardent doctor.

Prince Chen Liu walked up to the desk. By the light of the Night Pearl, he could clearly see the names of the medicinal ingredients on the paper.

His eyes slightly focused as he thought, if I’m seeing things correctly and remembering correctly, these are the ingredients the Tang clan analyzed as being used to refine the Cinnabar Pill.

Does the Imperial Court plan to use this method to weaken Chen Changsheng’s prestige?

Shang Xingzhou gave him no explanation. He quietly and attentively wrote out a medical case, apparently unaware that he had arrived.

Prince Chen Liu knew that not much time had been allotted to him, so he did not hesitate or pause, immediately saying what he wanted to say.

For him to travel several hundred li in one night, from the capital to Luoyang, had been precisely so he could say these words to Shang Xingzhou, even though it was nothing more than a few sentences.

"His Majesty is the Divine Empress’s son."

Prince Chen Liu looked at Shang Xingzhou and added, "But I am a descendant of Emperor Taizong."

These words finally made Shang Xingzhou take his eyes off the desk and onto the prince’s face.

Shang Xingzhou did not hide his admiration, although his admiration was mostly of Prince Chen Liu’s stance.

"Xu Yourong has entered the palace, probably with the intention of allying with His Majesty."

Prince Chen Liu continued, "It is clear that she is going crazy."

______________

1.This line, taken from the poem 贫交行 by Du Fu, refers to the impermanence of human relations, with people sometimes gathering together like clouds and other times as scattered as the rain and that they are treacherous and scheming.